using tobacco while hunting

[troutmaster]

How many of you guys use tobacco while you deer hunt (smoking/chewing) and do you think this affects your success or not. I chew tobacco and have for years, and i've been successful almost every year. in my opinion it seems to make them more curiouse than anything. whats everyones thoughts on this?

[harvey lee]

I have smoked for years and without a doubt the smell affects your hunting. Every fall the three other guys I bow hunt with dont smoke and they see 4 times the bucks I do, year after year. I do smoke in the stand.

[BRULEDRIFTER]

I'm a first year bow hunter, but have rifle hunted my whole life and I've seen a lot of deer while I'm smoking. However, I think its my movements rather than the scent that gets me busted.

[delmuts]

i chew, on stand, but i don't spit, and i also throw it out and put in fresh at the same spot where i go "P" before heading to my stand. does this have some effect, probably. i ground hunt alot, and do my very best to keep my clothes scent free and watch the wind carefully. if they can smell the chew , they will smell me also. del

[harvey lee]

I dont worry about the smoke smell to much when rifle hunting as my shots are usually very long distance and I always play the wind in my favor. For archery hunting and always having to have the deer at close range the smoke is killer for me.

I know, why doesnt one quit.

[sparcebag]

Ya know I've seen more deer in the woods while I'm smokeing and running a chain saw,than when Im not smokeing and hunting,and at times loading wood with the radio on! I always wondered if their courious or just used to the loggers. and I think in areas of Mn. they get used to smoke smell from heating fires,now can they tell the difference in cig. smoke and wood smoke ???

[Nate McVey]

I posted in the archery tip of the week that I use to chew Apple Jack while bowhunting, didn't worry about it during rifle season. I even put some of the Apple Jack on my baitpile (hunting in MI) and the deer went nuts for it. I certainly think deer can smell the difference between wood smoke and cig smoke, I know I can. I always have a piece of carpet on my stand that I spit on and keep my foot over. I know it doesn't keep the scent from getting out, but it helps and the carpet absorbs the noise from the spit. For all the kids reading this, I wish I had never started smoking or chewing. Keep that in mind.

[HootTooten]

Got mixed results and feeling of the whole "smokeing in the stand" topic. I have never NOT smoked in my deer stand. Bow or rifle. I have seen lots of deer and shot lots more while smoking/chewing. I think its keeping the movements to a minimum. My feeling is that deer don't associate that smell with danger. I may make them more allert but without seeing any movement I have had them walk right up to my ground blind while holding a hot smoke. If I would not have ever started or would quit who know maybe my trophy wall might be bigger. For me, as sad as it sounds, if i didnt get my nic fix, I would be thinking about it and probable figiting around with sticks and leaves and stuff. Now to avoid getting ripped apart from you guys. I dont sit there and puff away but I do have a smoke every hour or so. I do use sent blocker spray, play the wind, and use deer pis to help eliminate my "human oder" just the same as I would if I didnt smoke.

Just my $.02

Hoot

[sparcebag]

Well Hoot your not alone,cept I dont use any scent blockers,or deer scents,sometimes on my boot bottoms some fox urine for walkin in.

[crazyfishinut]

Last year while on stand, I popped some Kodiak wintergreen in. There was a cedar tree below me and to my right. I decided to spit on the tree in order to lessen the noise from the leaves below. After I was done with it, I pitched it out onto the cedar. About half hour later, two does walked right up to the tree and crawled underneath it. They hung around eating it!! I was trying not to laugh. The were directly beneath me eating my used snuff, so I had fun and spit a big goober right on one their heads! They jumped but did not know where it came from. I ended up with about 5 or so deer come right up to the tree. It was one of the funniest things I have ever seen in the woods.

[Rippinlip]

Not that I am proud of smoking, but I do. I will say that I think it all depends where you hunt. If you hunt where there is alot of human to deer contact I think it lessens the effect of smoking and chewing.

If I was to hunt in some remote wilderness area I would be extremely cautious about scent control.

As someone mentioned earlier we have had deer walk almost right up to us while cutting wood and trail riding four wheelers at my friends place.

I try to be as cautious as possible during the archery season, just for the fact up the up close and personnel contact. I like mentioned before play the wind and thermals more than anything.

Good luck to all and lets have some relaxing hunts one way or another.

[troutmaster]

when i chew in my stand, i always gut the stuff and keep my mouth shut as much as possible. i usually just breath out my nose. This seems to work well for me, last year i had multiple deer within 10yds of my stand while i had a big ol dip in. Maybe if i switch to scoal apple the deer would be attracted to it

[tealitup]

I am bear hunting and going to get some Apple flavor chew; I admit I am very addicted and would not sit 10 minutes still

[Nate McVey]

If you can find applejack buy it and put it on the baitpile and rub it on some trees and spit as much as you can

[sportfish]

I spit chew and pee by my stands and never noticed a problem...

[slimngrizzly]

Ive smoked for over 10 years and have now quit for over a month now and never plan on touching another one!!! My theory is if you play the wind, nothing can smell you- no matter how bad you smell!?! So thats most important... even for people who think they have done it all to be scent free... I bet those deer will only get so close down wind before they WILL smell something!!!

As far as smoking or chewing in the stand.... there may be times where you can tell yourself its doesnt hurt you, but seriously... It will probably NEVER help you?!?!

[Nightcrawler]

I really enjoyed the snuse storys

I too smoke , always have to do a wind check.

See a deer coming have to hurry and light one up so don't have to do it in slow motion .

Bear season I smoke swishersweets, bear love them, one I got came down wind ,ate the butt before I shot it.

I do love the ceder tree story.

[Rotwieler]

i would say it has to do with what kind of deer you are hunting. a city buck probably knows the smells of humans but the deep woods deer would be more curious. i try to keep from chewing in the stand but come 9 a.m. I'm hard up for a chew and give in. i still see deer but i often wonder if id see more if i didn't. i also spit in a bottle, just to cut down on the smell. i wish they made a chew that tasted like wintergreen but smelled like doe-in-estrus hehe

[wishing for walleyes]

Years ago when i used to bow hunt i also worked for a farmer hauling his piggy manure.One day after hauling manure all day i left my work clothes on and was walking in a cornfield that the headlands had been removed.I had a young deer walk up smelling me.I could have poked him in the nose with my broadhead he was so close.I wreaked pretty bad of the manure.Soooooo if you want a good cover scent go haul a lil piggy manure